How to grow clivia well on a balcony with poor lighting

The elegant and upright clivia (Clivia miniata) is a plant many people love, as it offers not only beautiful foliage but also flowers. A reader asked about this. Below are the points to keep in mind.

Potting soil mix

If the lighting is poor, be sure to use a potting soil with good air permeability. For the pot, ceramic pots, clay pots or plastic pots are recommended, and for the soil, use a loose, breathable nutrient soil. With this kind of soil it is easier to get watering right.

Watch the watering

In a low-light growing environment, water does not evaporate easily, and after watering the soil does not dry out thoroughly easily, so be careful not to water too often. Water again only after the potting soil has almost completely dried out. Each time you water, make sure to water thoroughly rather than giving only a half watering, otherwise hollow roots are likely to occur.

Increase ventilation

When the lighting is poor, increase ventilation to prevent the soil from staying wet for a long time after watering, which would cause the clivia's fleshy roots to rot. As temperatures gradually rise now, you can open the window on a sunny morning to let in some air and improve air circulation and exchange. In addition, if you grow many pots of clivia, leave some distance between the pots rather than placing them too close together.

Fertilize scientifically

When fertilizing clivia, pay attention to scientific and reasonable fertilizing. During the vegetative growth period, use a compound fertilizer with a high nitrogen content to promote leaf growth, but be careful not to apply only nitrogen fertilizer, as this easily makes the clivia's leaves thin and dull. During the flowering period, appropriately increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which can promote flower bud differentiation and bud formation, help it bloom and extend the flowering period.